MAC Forum

OH-LEC "Sininuoli" representing a Caravelle 1A, which was delivered new to Finnair on 5th May 1960 as part of the initial order of 4 aircraft, in post delivery scheme. enjoy.















colours; white silver and black, decals by Arctic Decals.
the Caravelle 1's didn't live up to Finnair's expectation, so they traded the 'steam driven' model (so called because of the poor hydralulic and bleed air systems) in on the improved 10B3. LEC was sold to Air France and was scrapped in 1980.
The closest i could get, OH-LED at Amsterdam Schiphol

Your restorations are fantastic.

I was wondering how you get the polished metal so polished? I understand you sand and polish, but do you use special tools, such as a Dremel, for those small, sometimes narrow, surfaces? Also, I like your glossy finish, which seems to hide all of the decal edges. Is this just multiple layers of glosscoat, or something else?

Thank you for sharing your fine work,
Thomas

737 wrote:Your restorations are fantastic.

I was wondering how you get the polished metal so polished? I understand you sand and polish, but do you use special tools, such as a Dremel, for those small, sometimes narrow, surfaces? Also, I like your glossy finish, which seems to hide all of the decal edges. Is this just multiple layers of glosscoat, or something else?

Thank you for sharing your fine work,
Thomas

many thanks Thomas. actually when i look back on this particular restoration, i do cringe a bit. come a long way since i restored this.

polishing: its hard work and often after paint stripping, some castings aren't worth the effort. i'll just paint them. preliminary polishing in the worst looking areas will determine if a casting will polish up. if its ok, i'll continue. you can use a dremel, but i only use one for the tight spots my bench polisher won't reach. there's a polishing compound which produces the shine (forget what its called) it comes in blocks, like soap and there are different compounds depending on the metal type being polished (your local hardware stockist will know all about it). cutting compound works too, but not as well.

the polishing wheel's the black disc on the right of the sanding belt and the polishing compound is that green block on the bench, next to the chuck key.

the clear coat does a number of things. as you observed, it gives decals a 'painted' appearance. secondly; it seals them. they'll never peel or discolour with age. thirdly; it makes them scratch resistant(two pot automotive clear i use has a hardener) and lastly, it hides a multitude of sins, filling in imperfections by reflecting the light evenly off the surface. its also possible to produce a semigloss look, which absorbs and scatters more light than it reflects (have a shufti at Pegasus or 5th Sentai Zero posts). so at the risk of being burnt at the stake, i use clear on every restoration.

hope that helps, regards norri

Many thanks for your quick reply. Regarding the clear coat, it is something called two pot automotive clear? Is this from the auto parts store and not a hobby shop? I have briefly experimented with gloss coats other than hobby spray cans, but they tend too be to "hot" and they melt or warp the decals.

Many thanks,
Thomas

indeed it is automotive. with the odd exception, i only use automotive paints. i can get any colour, its quick drying and thins with any universal solvent.

the automotive clear comes in two parts, the clear and a hardener, which you normally mix at 4:1. the brand i buy (malaysian), is good because i can buy the two parts seperately. handy because i guess the ratio and tend to over estimate the hardener. mix less than you think you'll need. by the time its thinned for a detailing gun the volume has doubled.

with decals there is always the risk of a reaction, especially if you lay down a wet coat first up. better to build up the coats gradually, i start with a couple of dry coats first (fine low volume spray pattern) let that dry (don't have to wait long). then start building the coats up from there, 'till you get the desired appearance. if the decals start to bubble up or react in some way, stop! wet your finger, then press them back down again. let it dry before starting again. don't worry about finger prints in the clear. they can be 'cleared' out just by applying more coats. make sure your finger is always wet. if its not, the decal will probably stick to your skin and lift off the job. i had to do that about 20 times once. don't know why, but the decals kept reacting. just about drove me 'round the bend. but i'd done so much work with the restoration, the thought of going back to square one, was a non starter. (took a day to sort)

i have two spray guns i use for this kind of work, one for detailing and one for the high volume stuff. they're not expensive

regards norri

Absolutely beautiful DINKY TOYS FRENCH CARAVELLE. Your polished metal is better than the
CORGI AVIATION POLISHED METAL, which I have the BRISTOL BRITANNIA and CONSTELLATION.
Again, your polishing of these aviation toys is superior. Much better than my hand polishing.
Thanks for your beautiful colourful pictures.
\
RICHARD STARR

many thanks Richard, very nice of you to say. easier with a polishing wheel, i cheated!